London police nab man for theft of Banksy piece interpreted as call for a Gaza truce
Traffic stop sign covered in three military drones grabbed by two men hours after artist confirmed latest work; police request help finding lost piece
Police in London said Saturday officers had arrested a man on suspicion of theft and criminal damage after a Banksy artwork was removed from a south London street corner within hours of appearing.
The installation, a traffic stop sign covered with three aircraft resembling military drones, emerged at an intersection in the Peckham neighborhood on Friday morning and has been widely interpreted as a call for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, which was sparked by the terror group’s October 7 attack on southern Israel in which some 1,200 were killed, mainly civilians, and some 240 taken hostage to Gaza.
Less than an hour after Banksy confirmed it was his latest work — posting a photo of it on social media — witnesses filmed it being removed by a man with bolt cutters, with the help of another individual.
Images and video posted on social media showed one of them running off with the sign under his arm.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service initially said it had not been informed of an alleged crime.
But Southwark Council, which is responsible for local services — including street signage — said late Friday that it wanted the sign back and had reported the incident to police.
A Banksy art piece was taken less than an hour after being installed in the black neighborhood of Peckham in London. The local council has reported the missing artwork to police. Art experts estimate the piece could be worth hundreds of thousands. pic.twitter.com/43L5Udr3gl
— Andy Ngô ????️???? (@MrAndyNgo) December 23, 2023
By Saturday evening, police said a man had been arrested and remained in custody.
“This incident is currently being investigated by officers,” a spokesman for the London force added, without giving further details of the individual detained.
“We are aware of footage being shared which shows the sign being removed.
“Anyone who may have information about the incident or the whereabouts of the sign is asked to call police.”
EXCLUSIVE: The hunt for the £250,000 Banksy bandit. Police WILL launch investigation into Peckham Stop sign art stolen by bike thief after council leader files official report https://t.co/i0oxmKczho pic.twitter.com/OQzziMr3uQ
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) December 23, 2023
In a statement Friday, councilor Jasmine Ali, deputy leader of Southwark Council, hit out at the unauthorized removal.
“It should not have been removed and we’d like it back so everyone in the community can enjoy Banksy’s brilliant work,” she said.
“We have reported the removal of our sign to the police to help get it back.”
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
